Machine for coding labels



, 1952 H. E. RUE ET AL MACHINE FOR comma LABELS March 18 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 27, 1949 INVENTORS HAROLD E. RUE LOUIS TIGERMAN ATTOR EYS March 18, 1952 H. E. RUE ETAL MACHINE FOR CODING LABELS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 27, 1949 INVENTORS HAROLD E.RUE

ATTORNEYS March 18, 1952 H. E. RUE ET AL 5 5 MACHINE FOR CODING LABELS Filed June 27, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 \lIllll u A w 62 .v IIIIQ HQU mu {(5 25 3 a 1 m 72 I sz 29 INVENTORS HAROLD E. RUE LOUlS. TIGERMAN ATTORNEYS March 18, 1952 Filed June 27, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 H d Mm PO01 MW Ix I 1] M m- I m x n W 1 n 1 n WC R m i Q ma n 7 W n I 7 I 1- I m. m m wm \MAAA -I. m 2 W m M. ll \l Wm am U R m R E c E l N T R D m L5 T mw/M fl A ML March 18, 1952 H. E. RUE ET AL 2,589,512

MACHINE FOR CODING LABELS Filed June 27, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS HAROLD E. RUE

LOUIS TIGERMAN ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 18, 1952 QFFICE MACHINE Foa oopme LABELS Harold E. Rue, Wauwatosa, and Louis Tigerman, Milwaukee, Wis, assignors to Pabst Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wis, a corporation Application June 27, 1949, Serial No. 101,632

4 Claims. 1

This invention appertains to the marking of labels and more particularly to means for placing identification material on labels to permit the giving of information relative to the product contained in packages or bottles.

In the placing of consumer goods on the market (particularly perishable and edible products) it often becomes necessary for the manufacturers to know the exact identity of a certain package or container, such as, the date of the packaging 0.1, bottling of the product, the exact plant at which the packaging or bottling took place, the exact vats or the like from which the product was drawn and from what section of the country the ingredients of the product originated, and such other exact data needed according to the nature of the. product being packaged or bottled.

It. h een ro sed to perforate labtls to permit, certain information to be given, such as the date of bottling or. packaging. However, such h information is not complete and perforated labels are not pleasing to the eye of the purchasing public.

One of the primary objects of this invention is to provide means whereby minute code markings, nicks or slots can be expeditiously made on the edges of labels, the spacings of the markings from each other and from the first or datum out forming a code, by which all information relative to the product bearing the labels can be instantly determined by authorized persons having the key to the code; the markings being such that the labels themselves are not defaced or rendered unattractive to the purchasing public.

Another salient object of the invention is to provide a machine for quickly and accurately marking a large number of labels simultaneously with the desired code matter.

A further object of the invention, is to provide a machine in which the devices used to cut or mark the edges of the labels can be quickly changed and set to any desired code combination or reading.

A further important object of the invention is the provision of a carriage for receiving and clamping a stack of labels mounted for reciprocatory movement on a frame or bed having upper and lower sets of power driven rotary circular saws or knives, with means for moving the carriage and the labels past the sets of saws or knives, the carriage being so constructed as to permit the, sets of saws or knives to act simultaneously on opposite edges of the stack of labels.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means for accurately adjusting the sets of saws or knives relative to the carriage, whereby the de th of the cut of the marks on the labels at! b contr e A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel mandrel or shaft for the sets of 2 knives or saws, whereby the distance between the saws or knives can be quickly changed and'wher'eby the saws or knives can be. firmlyheld in their selected set position during rotation.

With these and other objects in view, the in ventionconsists in the novel construction, an rangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which drawings,

Figure 1 is a top plan View of the novel machine for coding labels, parts of the view being shown broken away and in section, to illustrate structural detail.

Figure 2 is a, longitudinal sectional view through the machine taken on the line v 2-2,.of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows and illustrating the novel arrangement of the sets of saws or knives relative to the reciprocatory carriage.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the machine with parts thereof broken away and in section. v

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view through the machine taken on the. line 4-4 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows illustrating the mounting of the carriage on the frame or bed of the machine.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view through the machinetaken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows illustrating the latch for the carriage and the means employed for clamping a stack of labels v on the carriage.

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view through the machine taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows and illustrating more particularly the novel arrangement and construction of the mandrels or shafts for adjustably receiving and holding the sets of marking knives or saws.

Figure 7 is a detail sectional view through one set of the coding knives or saws, taken on the 'line 1-! of Figure 6, looking in the direction of the arrows, the view being on a larger scale than Figure 6.

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary detail transverse sectional View through the machine, taken on the line 8-8 of Fig ure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows and illustrating the means for advancing the carriage.

Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary detail transverse sectional view through the machine taken on line 9+9 of Figure 3,, looking in the direction of the arrows and illustrating more particularly a part of the carriage and frame construction.

Figure 10 is a front. elevational view of a label provided with the coding'marksf'" Figure 11 is an enla'rged fragmentary detail transverse sectional view illustrating how labels of different characters can be associated with the similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter C generally indicates the novel coding machine for a stack of labels L.

The coding machine C includes a bed or base l5, which can be in the nature of a casting. As illustrated this bed l5 includes side longitudinally extending walls [Sand H and end walls I8 and [9. These walls can'be braced in any desired way such as by transversely extending vertically disposed plates and transversely extending, horizontally disposed connecting webs 2|. This bed can be bolted or otherwise secured to suitable supporting pedestals 22.

Mounted upon the bed 5 for reciprocatory movement longitudinally of the bed is a carriage 23.

The carriage 23 includes a bottom wall or plate 24 having formed on its longitudinal sides, tracks 25 for a purpose, which will be later set forth. On this carriage is received and clamped the desired stack of labels L to be coded and as the length of the stack or the number of labels in the stack varies, means 26 is provided for adjustably clamping the stack on the carriage, which means will also be later set forth in detail. At this point, it is well to note that the lower wall or plate 24 of the carriage has a longitudinally extending opening 21 so that a part of the lower edge of the stack or labels L can be acted upon during the coding operation.

As stated, the carriage 23 slides on the bed and the upper edges of the side walls l6 and H of the bed are provided with rails 28 which are received in the tracks 25 formed on the carriage. The outer faces of the rails 28 are beveled as at 29 and on one side of the carriage the track is provided with a beveled inner face 30 to correspond to the beveled face 29 of the track. On

. the other side of the bed, the beveled outerface of its rail is engaged by an adjustable gib 3| mounted for movement with the carriage. The adjustable gib 3| is engaged by a series of set screws 32 on the carriage. Fastened to one side of the carriage 23 is a depending longitudinally extending rack bar 33 and this rack bar has meshing therewith a drive and feed pinion 34. The pinion is keyed, or otherwise fastened, to a shaft 35 rotatably mounted in suitable bearings 36 on a bearing bracket 31 bolted or otherwise wastened to one side of the bed l5. end of the shaft 35 has secured thereto a crank wheel 38 and the crank wheel can be provided with acrank handle 39. the shaft 35, the carriage can be fed back and forth according to the direction of rotation of the shaft.

The carriage 23 is formed in a novel manner to receive the stack of labels L and the adjustable clamping means 25 therefor. Hence the carriage is provided on the inner side of the longitudinally extending opening 27 with a polished set-in label rest strip All and on the other side of the opening with a label guide and rest strip 4|. This strip 41 is also set into the carriage and is substantially flush with the upper face thereof and includes a set-in depending inner side wall'42 having a perpendicular label guide face 43 and an angularly extending label guide fac 44. The

extreme lower end of the label guide and rest strip M is provided with an inturned longitudi- The outer Obviously by turning 4 nally extending foot 45 on which the lower edges of the labels rest. The upper face of the foot 45 is in the same horizontal plane with the upper face of the strip 40.

The stack of labels L is placed on the carriage with the lower edges resting upon the strip 40 and the foot 45, with one side edge against the inner face of the strip 4|, as best shown in dotted lines in Figures 4 and 6. Where labels are of the usual square or oblong character as shown in dotted lines in Figs. 4 and 6 and in full lines in the detail showing in Figure 10, the side edges of the labels engage the perpendiclular face 43. Where the labels are of a special character and have their side edges at an acute angle as is indicated by the reference character 46, the side edges engage the guide face Mas best shown in Figure 11. The means 26 for adjustably clamping the stack of labels L on the carriage includes an end presspad or plate 41. This press pad 41 carries guide pins 48 slidably mounted in guide openings formed in a transversely extending web 35 formed on the carriage 23 adjacent to the outer end thereof. Expansion springs are coiled about the guide pins 48 and engage the Web 49- at their inner ends and against stop washers 5| at their outer ends. These stop washers can be held in place in any suitable way such as by cotter keys 52. Hence the springs 55 function to urge the press pad t! toward the inner face of the web 49. Also carried by the press pad 41 is a guide and operating shaft 53 which is slidably received in a bearing 54 carried by the carriage. Mounted for turning movement on a pivot pin 55 secured to the carriage is a cam lever 56 and the cam portion of the lever is adapted to engage one end of the shaft 53 and by turning the cam lever the press pad can be forcibly moved into clamping engagement with the stack of labels L against the tension of the springs 55. As the stack of labels may vary in length an adjustable clamp plate 51 is slidably mounted on the carriage for movement toward and away from the web 59. This clamp plate 51 has formed on its terminals, guide-feet 58 carrying wear plates 53 for engaging the inner beveled facestil of guide rails or gibs BI and 62. These guide rails or gibs are secured to the carriage and it is preferred to have the rail 62 adjustable toward and away from the plate 57 to take up wear. By this arrangement the plate 5'! can be readily moved toward the web 49 as heretofore intimated and in order to hold the plate 51 in an adjusted position relative to the web 55 the carriage has secured thereto a longitudinally extending ratchet rack bar 63. One foot 58 of the plate 5! carries a pivoted gravity operated dog 64 for engaging the ratchet rack bar 53 and for latching the plate 51 against movement in one direction relative to said web. The plate 57 also carries an adjustable press pad 65 which is similar in character to, or the same as, the press pad 47. The press pad 65 carries guide pins 66 which slidably extend through guide openings in the plate 51. The pins 66 have coiled thereabout expansion springs 57. The springs at one end engage the plate 5'! and engage at their opposite ends against stop washers 68. The stop washers can be held in place in any desired way, such as by cotter keys.

machine.

the cam .lever, in the correct direction, the cam can press against the shaft for moving the press pad .65 toward the press pad it. When a stack of labels 'is to be placed in position, the carriage is moved to the left, as shown in Figure 1 and the dog .64 is lifted, to permit the sliding of the plate '57 and its various adjuncts to the right. The cam levers 5t and H are turned so that the springs 5H and 6'! will move the press pads El and 65 respectively, toward the web 39 and the plate 51. The .stack of labels is now placed on the carriage spanning the opening or slot All therein and the clamp plate 5'! is moved toward the web 49 against the stack. After this initial for cutting notches in the upper and lower edges of the labelsand this means will now be described in detail.

The means 13 for acting on the tops of the labels includes a swinging yoke it having side arms 15. The forward upper ends of the arms carry'bearings for rotatably supporting a hollow cross shaft or mandrel Tl, which carries'the gang or set of circular knives or saws i8. A guard 19 is rigidly fastened to the arms i6 and connects the arms together for simultaneous movement. This guard 19- is of an arcuate shape in cross section and extends partially over the set of knives-or saws T8 to protect the operator of the The lower ends of the arms it of the yoke '15 are also provided with bearings and the same are mounted upon a supporting rock shaft Formed on, or otherwise secured,

end of the lever terminates in a yoke 82 which straddles a vertically disposed adjusting screw 83. Mounted on the screw 83 above and below the .yoke 82 are adjusting hand wheel nuts 84. By

adjusting these nuts up or down on the screw 83 the yoke 15 can be rocked to cause accurate adjustment of the set of saws or knives 78 toward and away from the labels L and the label carriage 23 for regulating the depth of cut.

The means Hi for operating on the lower face of the stack of labels L, issimilar in character to the novel means 13 and the means l4 also includes a gang or set of circular knives l8 and a hollow mandrel H. As the means for holding the set or gang of knives and saws in position are identical, only one will now be described.

Novel means is provided for holding the knives or saws of the sets 18 in proper selected positions relative to one another. Obviousl diiferent numbers of knives or saws can be utilized as needed, .and in the present instance there is shown five knives or saws in each set. The peripheries of the circular knives or saws may or diameter and is received in a sleeve guide 83 carried by the adjacent end of the mandrel. The

sleeve m9, is ahand wheel i Hi. hand wheel the'yoke 1 05, the guard 10-1 and the opposite, endof the expander 8.5 is provided with a threaded bore 81 which receives an adjusting screw 88. The adjusting screw extends out through one end of the mandrel and is rotatably carried by a stop .cap 89 threaded .into themane drel. Bearingagainst the, outer face of the can is a hand wheel so carried by the screw for facilitating the rotation thereof. A stop collar. 9| is'secured to the screw and the inner faceot the stop cap bears against this collar. Obviously, by turning the wheel 90 theexpander canibeslid longitudinally of its mandrel. The expander 85, is provided with longitudinally extending slots 92, at equidistantly spaced points, and preferably at thirds. Communicating with the slots at spaced points are openings 93. Pins 94 extend across each of the slots 92 and are fitted in the openings 53. The mandrel 11 is also provided with longitudinally extending slots 95, which register with the slots 92. Mounted in theslots, 92 and 95 are longitudinally extending jaws -95. These jaws are spaced teeth 9}, and the teeth are spaced apart the thickness of the knives or saws, and these jaws move toward and away from the knives or saws for clamping the same in position. The

inner edges of the jaws 96 adjacent to their opposite ends are provided with inclined slots 98 and 99 which receivethe pins 94 of the expander. In order to hold the jaws in position on the mandrel against accidental displacement, the .same are provided at their opposite ends with lugs I00 and till. In placing the jaws in position, the lugs Hill are fitted against the inner surface of the mandrel after which a sleeve I02 is slipped on the mandrel over the lugs .100 and :held detachably in place by any suitable means, such as a set screw J03.

By turning the screw 90 so as to feed the expander to the left (see Figure 6), the pins 9.4 ens gaging the lower inclined walls of the slots :98 and as will draw the jaws inwardly into the mandrel, releasing the knives or saws. The knives or saws are now set to their "proper coding position, after which thehand wheel 90 is turned in a reverse direction, so as to feed the expander 85 to the right and the pins .94 engaging the upper inclined walls of the slots 93 and 199, of the jaws,

will move and hold the jaws in an outward vset clamping position for holding the knives against lateral shifting. By providing the arrangement "the forward ends of the arms tilt-of a swinging yoke I05. 'The opposite ends of the arms are connected to across rock shaft Hi6 mounted in the side walls It and i l of the bed frame 15. Hence the set of knives .or saws 18 0f the means "i4 is movable toward and away from "the lower edgesor face of the stack of labels'L. 'A guard l t-i partially encircles the set of knives or saws it for the means 74 to protect the operator and this guard rigidly connects the arms-H14 together. To bring about the accurate adjustment and positioning of the set of knives or saws 78 of the means it, the guard I01 carries a depending bolt ififi. The belt slidably extends through an externally threaded adjusting sleeve H39 and this sleeve is threaded into the bottom of the bed frame I5. Formed on the adjusting By turning this provided with equidistantly set of knives can be raised. By loosening the adjusting sleeve, the yoke will swing down by gravity. A look nut III is threaded on the bolt I08 for engaging and holding the adjusting sleeve I09 in its desired set position.

If'preferred, a motor can be provided for the upper cutting means 13 and the lower cutting means 74. As shown, an electric motor II2 is mounted along side of the frame I5, and the armature shaft II3 of this motor is operatively connected to the mandrel I! of said upper cutting means 13. This driving means can consist of a pulley I I4, secured to the armature I I3, a drive belt H and a pulley H6 secured to the mandrel.

An electric motor II! for the lower set of cutting means 14 is also mounted along side of the bed I5 and the armature shaft I I 8 thereof, is provided with a pulley II9. A pulley belt I is trained about the pulley I I9 and around a pulley I2I secured to the mandrel T! of the lower cut ting means Id.

In operation of the machine, the desired stack of labels L is clamped to the carriage 23 as heretofore described and the motors H2 and II! are set in operation. The crank wheel 38 is rotated by the operator in the direction to feed the carriage to the right (see Figures 1 and 2) as the carriage passes between the upper and lower sets of label cutting means I3 and 14, the knives will cut the upper and lower edges of the labels in exact accordance with the spacing of these knives. When the carriage reaches the end of its travel to the right, the operator removes the stack or block of cut labels L and reverses the direction of rotation of the crank wheel and the carriage is returned back to the left. This brings about the smooth notching of the labels and upon the return of the carriage to the left, a new stack or block of labels L can be immediately placed in position. 7

In order to prevent hanging of the carriage during the reciprocation thereof, the opposite ends of the bed I5 can have secured to its end walls I8 and I9 by clamps I22, rubber bumper pads I23. These pads are arranged in the path of travel of stop bumpers I 24 secured to the lower face of the carriage.

. As shown in Figure 6, the guards for the sets of knives can be provided with graduations I25, to facilitate the setting and spacing of the knives relative to one another.

If preferred, vacuum suction means can be attached to these guards for withdrawing the cuttings from the labels.

Particular attention is now directed to Figure 10, and it will be noted that the upper and lower edges of the labels are provided with notches or the like I26, spaced various distances apart. The first cut or notch at the left of each group of cuts or notches, both top and bottom, constitutes the reference or datum cut, and all other cuts to the right are in reference to it in the code. This is important, and if the corner of the label is located relative to the reference or datum cut, and this card is provided with the printed data represented by the other cuts or notches. Various changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention, but what is claimed as new isi 1. A machine for coding labels comprising a bed, a mandrel, a set of disc cutters on said'mandrel, a yoke rockably mounted on the bed rotatably supporting the mandrel, means for rotating the mandrel, a carriage slidably mounted on the bed for movement past the cutters, means for clamping a stack of labels on the carriage, and means for swinging the yoke to adjustably position the cutters relative to the stack of labels on the carriage including a screw and a manually operated hand wheel.

2. A machine for coding labels comprising a bed, a mandrel extending transversely across the bed, a set of cutters secured to the mandrel, a swinging yoke mounted on the bed rotatably supporting the cutters, means for driving the mandrel, a carriage mounted for reciprocatory movement on the bed past the cutters, means for clamping a stack of labels to the carriage, means for swinging the yoke to position the cutters relative to the stack of labels including a lever. secured to the yoke, a screw secured to the bed, a yoke on the lever embracing the screw, and hand wheel nuts threaded on the screw against the yoke.

3. A machine for coding labels comprising a bed, upper and lower mandrels, swinging yokes carried by the bed rotatably supporting the mandrels, means for driving the mandrels, a carriage reciprocally mounted on the bed between the mandrels, a set of disc cutters carried by each mandrel, means for clamping a stack of labels to the carriage, said carriage having a longitudinally extending slot to permit the passage of the lower cutters through the lower. face of the stack of labels, and means for independently adjusting the yokes.

4. In a label coding machine, a bed, upper and lower mandrels on said bed, a set of cutters carried by each mandrel, means for rotating the mandrels, a carriage for labels slidably mounted on the bed between said cutters, said carriage having a longitudinally extending opening for permitting the passage of the lower set of cutters in said carriage for engaging the lower face of the stack of labels, label guides on each side of the opening, one of said guides including a longitudinally extending wall terminating in a horizontal foot, the foot engaging the lower face of the stack, and said wall having a perpendicular face for engaging the edges of square and oblong labels and an angularly extending face for engaging labels having inclined edges.

HAROLD E'. RUE. LOUIS TIGERMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 254,883 Nolin Mar. 14, 1882 325,812 Bridgman Sept. 8, 1885 427,931 Sullivan May 13, 1890 1,280,202 Frelinghuysen Oct. 1, 1918 1,280,218 Hawthorne Oct. 1, 1918 1,280,275 Morgan Oct. 1, 1918 1,289,431 Frelinghuysen Dec. 31, 1918 1,560,808 Steele Nov. 10, 1925 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 339,724 Great Britain Dec. 18, 1930 

